News, Tips, and Dish from the Frontlines of Fashion

Iolite

We all know and love Diamonds. Most of us are familiar with birthstones such as Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies, Topaz, etc. But what I want to talk about today are alternative rocks. There may be some stones out there that you don’t know about but you should. They are all beautiful and you should be adding a few to your jewelry collection.

1. Chalcedonyhas translucent tones with a wax-like luster that can be found in array of colors such as pink, yellow, blue and almost any color of the rainbow. Some variations of Chalcedony are Onyx and Agate.

2. Prehnitewas a very rare gemstone until recently where there have been recent finds in Australia and China. Lucky us! It ranges in hues of greens, yellow and brown is said to have healing powers.

3. Amberis a great a color for Fall wardrobe, most often found in yellow, red and brown tones. Amber which is basically fossilized tree resin, is quite unique because chances are you might find leaves, insects, air bubbles and other foreign objects in it making your Amber jewelry one of a kind.

4. Opal is known for its shifting play of color glistening hues of many different colors in one stone. Most often seen in white but one of our favorite colors of Opals is pink! October’s birthstone originates mostly from Australia. Show your love for those Aussies by sporting some Opals!

5. Rose de France Amethyst is more on the lilac side rather than the more vibrant purple you’re used to seeing in traditional Amethyst. It’s beautiful! That’s all you need to know!

6. Milky Aquamarine are opaque to translucent, not allowing light to pass through it completely like regular Aquamarines. A transparent Aquamarine is more valuable but the milky versions are just as beautiful. Set in sterling silver or white gold makes a stunning bold statement.

7. Tanzanite is a blue/purple stone that our Facebook fans go nuts for every time we mention it. This stone can be found in, you guessed it, Tanzania! You won’t find these stones anywhere else in the world so thank the lucky stars the nice people of Tanzania like to share.

8. Iolite is a transparent violet-blue stone that looks like different colors when looking from different angles. From certain angles it may also appear colorless. Iolites are a more affordable alternative that have a similar look to other blue stones such as Tanzanite and Sapphire.

9. Kyanite is another blue stone to keep on your radar. It is darker than Iolite, closer in color to Sapphire.

10. Morganite, my personal favorite alternative rock. Found in a pink to peachy color it looks absolutely gorgeous paired with Rose Gold. Love it! This stone is rare and not seen very often so when you find Morganite jewelry you love with it snatch it up quickly.